Signature-handlng machine.



H. M. BARBER. SIGNATURE HANDLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. 19l5.

Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. M. BARBER. SIGNATURE HANDLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1915.

Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. M. BARBER.

SIGNATURE HANDLING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. I915.

Patented Apr. 30. 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

H. M. BARBER. SIGNATURE HANDLING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26. I915.

Patented Apr. 30. 1918.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4 bnrrnn snares ra rnnr onnron.

v HOWARD M. BARBER, 0F STONINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO IB. COT'IRELL &

SONS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SIGNATURE-HANDLING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters'Patentf Patented Apr. so, rare.

Application filed February 26, 1915. Serial No. 10,755.

successive signatures are led through dift'erent stitcher and folding mechanisms to a common dellvery point. Thls inventlon more specificallyincludes means whereby the signatures are alternately fed to two stitcher and two folding mechanisms and are fed from the folding mechanisms to a common delivery mechanism.

' This invention also more specifically includes a common delivery cylinder having grippers arranged to take the stitched and folded signatures from, the jaws of their respective female folding cylinders.

The object of this invention is to provide means for rapidly stitching, folding and delivering signatures and, at the same time,

permit the stoppage of the signatures an ample time to allow them to be accurately stitched.

A. practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical central section taken from front to rear through so much of a sheet handling machine as includes my invention,

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical section taken. from front to rear inside the near side frame,

Fig. 3 is a similar section taken inside the far side frame, and

Fig. 4 is a detail section showing the driving connection between the parts and also certain of the cam mechanisms.

'A feeding cylinder 1 is mounted on a shaft 2 and carries two sets of grippers 3, 4, arranged to take successive signatures as they are fed through the guides 5, 6,

and feed the signatures alternately to the cylinders 7 8, of the feeding-in devices for the stitcher mechanisms. 7 v

The shaft of the cylinder 7 is denoted by 9 and the shaft of the cylinder 8 by 10. The set of grippers 11 on the cylinder 7 is arranged to take a signature from the set of grippers 3 every revolution of the cylinder 1 and every two revolutions of the cylinder 7. The set of grippers 12 on the cylinder 8 is arranged to take a signature from the set of grippers 4 on the cylinder 1 every revolution of the cylinder 1 and every second revolution of the cylinder 8.

The upper stitcher table is denoted by 13 and the lower stitcher table by 14.

A. movable stop 15 is provided for the table 13 and a movable stop 16 is provided for the table 14. r

The upper stitcher mechanism is denoted by 17 and the lower stitcher mechanism by 18, which stitcher mechanisms are driven respectively through suitable gearing from the shafts 19 and 20.

Endless tape carriers 21, 22, are arranged to feed the signatures from the cylinder 7 onto the stitcher table 13 against the movable stop 15. Similarly, endless tape carriers 23, 24, are arranged to feed the signatures from the cylinder 8 onto the stitcher table 14 against the movable stop 16.

The upper male folding cylinder is denoted by 25, its shaft by 26, its set of grippers by 27 and its tucking blade by 28. The lower male folding cylinder is denoted by 29, its shaft by 30, its set of grippers by 31, and its tucking blade by 32. The upper female folding cylinder is denoted by 33, its shaft by 34, and its folding jaws by 35. The lower female folding cylinder is denoted by 36, its shaft by 37 and its set of folding grippers by 38.

The common delivery cylinder is denoted by 39, its shaft by 40 and its two sets of grippers by 41, 42, the grippers 41 serving operate the grippers 3 of the cylinder 1 to close them on the signature at their receiving point and to open them at the proper time to release the signature to the grippers 11 of the cylinder 7 The long circular cam 45 isarranged to operate the grippers 4 of the cylinder l to close them on the next sucp i5, 46 andi' are not shown, it being understood that'these supports for the cams may be connected to the frame in any well known or-approved manner.

-The movement of the sheet stop 15 is controlled by the rotary cam 48 carried by the cylinder '25 and the movement of the sheet stop 16 is controlled bythe rotary cam 49 carried by the cylinder 29.

The grippers '27 von the cylinder 25 are shown astumbler-operated and they are controlled' at their receiving point by the pin 50 and'at their releasing point by the pin .5'1. Similarl-y,tl1e grippers 31 on the cylinder 29 are shown as tumbler-operatedand they are controlled at their receiving point by I'ihG1IJlI1 '52 and at theirreleasing point by thepin 53.

ilhefcoacting folding mechanisms of the male and female folding cylinders 25, 33, and 29 -36, are-of the floating tucking blade and floating ffolding jawtype of well known and approved form and their operating cam mechanisms will not be specifically described herein as they form no part of the present invention. See United States Letters Patent "to R. C. 7 Seymour, No. 629,928, August 1,

The grippers 41 and 42 are operated by the 'camsl5l, ,"toreceive the folded and stitched signatures from their respective female folding cylinders and deliver the said signatures onto the delivery device 43.

A stripper guide may beinterposed between the'cylinder 39'and delivery device a3. v Thedriving shafts 19 and 20 of the stitcher :mecha'ni'sms are driven from the shaft- 2 of the cylinder'l through the train of gears 56,

57,68, 59, the gearstlO, 61, on the shafts 9,

1Q,meshing with agear 62 on the shaft 2. v The cylinders'29, 36, 39, 33, and 25, are driven from the gear 61: through the gears 63,' 6 l,' 65,66,67,.68. [In the present instance, these-cylinders are all driven'atthe same surface speed asthe cylinder 1.

By'sendingione signature to one stitcher mechanism and the next signature to another stitcher mechanism, I am enabledto stitch "one signature While the other one'is being fed intoposition for stitching. Thisalternate stitching of" the signatures permits first one stitched signature to be folded and'de- 'livered to'th'e delivery devicexand then the 7 other stitched signature to be folded and delivered to the delivery device. I

It will thus be seen that ample time is given for the stitching and delivery of the successive signatures.

By the term cylinder as used in the description, I contemplate any suitable means for passing the signatures through the prescribed paths and by the term grippers I contemplate any engaging devices suitable for the purpose of leading the signatures through said prescribed paths.

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the structure herein set forth, but WVhat I claim is 2-- 1. In a machine of the character described, a plurality of stitcher mechanisms, a plurality of folding mechanisms, a common delivery mechanism, and means for passing successive signatures through their respective stitching and folding mechanisms to the common delivery mechanism.

2. In a machine of the character described, two stitcher mechanisms, two folding mechanisms, a common delivery mechanism and means for passing successive-signatures in different paths through their respective stitching and folding mechanisms to the common delivery mechanism.

3.'In a machine of the character described, a common source of signature supply, a plurality of stitcher mechanisms, a

plurality of folding mechanisms, a common delivery mechanism, and means for passing successive signatures from the coimnon source of signature supply through their respective stitching and folding mechanisms to the'common delivery mechanism.

4. In a machine of the character described, a common source of signature supply, two stitcher mechanisms, two folding mechanisms, a common. delivery mechanism, and means forpassing successive signatures from the common source of signature supply in different paths'through their respective stitching and folding mechanisms to the common delivery mechanism.

'5. In a machine of the character described, a plurality ofstitche-r mechanisms, means for feeding signatures thereto, a plurality of female folding cylinders, a plurality of male folding cylinders arranged to remove the stitched signatures and fold them 05 to the female folding cylinders and a common delivery cylinder arranged to take the stitched and folded signatures from said female folding cylinders.

'6; In a machine 'of the character (lescribed, twov stitcher mechanisms, means for feeding signatures thereto, two female folding cylinders, two male folding cylinders arranged to take the stitched signatures from the stitcher mechanisms and fold them off to the female folding cylinders and a common delivery cylinder arranged to take the stitched and folded signatures from said female folding cylinders.

7. In a machine of the character described, a'plurality of stitcher mechanisms, means for feeding signatures thereto, a plurality of female folding cylinders having folding jaws, a plurality of male folding cylinders having grippers for positively removing the stitched signatures from the stitcher mechanisms and also having folding blades arranged to coact with the folding jaws of the female folding cylinders for folding off the stitched signatures and a common delivery cylinder having two sets of grippers for removing the stitched and folded signatures from their respective female folding cylinders.

8. In a machine of the character described, two stitcher mechanisms, means for feeding signatures thereto, two female folding cylinders having folding jaws, two male folding cylinders having grippers for positively removing the stitched signatures from the stiteher mechanisms and also having folding blades arranged to coact with the folding jaws of the female folding cylinders for folding ed the stitched signatures, and a common deliverycylinder having two sets of grippers for removing the stitched and folded signatures from their respective female folding cylinders.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name, in

- presence of two witnesses, this twenty fourth day of February, A. D. 1915.

HOWARD M. BARBER.

Witnesses:

A. R. STILLMAN, E. M. GRANT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

